Chapter 180: Conquering the Divine Temple
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
For many, mastering Celestial Light Force to the blazing intensity of the Radiant Sun stage and blending it with consciousness to achieve astral projection is a feat that only someone with a notable background could accomplish.
This was not a domain for ordinary practitioners on the Path of Awakening. Typically, it was impossible for someone on this path to achieve astral projection. Even the elderly figure riding atop the Four-Tusked White Elephant looked astonished, staring repeatedly at Qin Ming’s retreating back.
The Silver-Haired Girl, with her graceful figure and rippling divine aura, also focused on him intently, her surprise evident.
While many were stunned, they quickly dismissed the notion with a shake of their heads.
“Even if a Young Ancestor ventured inside, they’d likely meet their end. Entering like this is essentially walking to one’s death,” someone remarked grimly.
“Indeed, no one has ever come out of the Divine Temple alive,” another affirmed, their face serious. It was rare to see such an extraordinary figure braving the temple, but the result was expected to be no different.
The temple’s owner was terrifying beyond words. Great figures had once evaluated the place, declaring it a death trap—an inescapable site of guaranteed demise.
Qin Ming stepped into the temple. The ground was littered with dry, brittle leaves, as though no one had set foot here in centuries. This was no illusory construct born of the mind—it was a genuine, ancient architectural complex. The air was thick with an oppressive aura of decay and age, yet the structure had endured, never crumbling. When the night fog swirled, the temple emerged upon this desolate land.
As Qin Ming entered, golden light surged from the ground, flooding the courtyard. The dry leaves, and even the creaking, broken windows trembling in the night wind, were bathed in a golden radiance.
Around him, the carvings on the courtyard walls came alive. Were they gods, or were they demons? Each figure glowed with light. Some soared skyward, others plunged into the abyss, their expressions varying between joy and menace. All emitted resounding voices, as though a chorus of spirits was chanting scripture to Qin Ming. Countless intricate symbols erupted from the carvings, flying toward him.
“Is this the temple’s owner sizing me up?” Qin Ming paused.
The figures on the walls grew increasingly vivid and lifelike, as though ready to step out. The chants they uttered became tangible, forming golden chains that extended from the carvings toward him, seeking to ensnare him.
In the distance, a large crowd that had followed to watch stood transfixed.
Someone who understood the significance of this scene sighed. “This is an extraordinary welcome. Being drawn into the Locking Deity Diagram right from the start means he’s being tested on a high level of spiritual discourse.”
Many had heard of this phenomenon. Some referred to the carvings as the Diagram of the Gods’ Discourse; others called it the Manifestation of Demons. Those pulled into the diagram faced two outcomes: either they would successfully debate and escape, or their consciousness would be reduced to ashes by the golden chains in an instant.
“Xiao Wu, your acquaintance seems reckless,” a youth with three eyes commented, shaking his head.
He had already observed that Qin Ming was moving closer to the wall. “Does he not even have the strength to resist?” Many others were puzzled. Wasn’t he supposed to be a Young Ancestor? He seemed oddly weak.
An elder offered insight. “This trial is less about cultivation and more about innate talent and creative potential. It evaluates those with the capacity to carve paths forward.”
“What use is being a Young Ancestor?” the elder continued. “In reality, they’re probably old enough to be at death’s door. Even if their Celestial Light Force has reached the terrifying brilliance of the Radiant Sun, they still won’t make it through.”
But then, something extraordinary happened. The tall figure did not vanish into the wall. Instead, Qin Ming calmly stepped forward, studying each radiant and lifelike carving. As he passed, the wall’s figures dimmed, retreated, and disappeared entirely.
He had moved close to the carvings, observing them with care.
The golden chains from the walls could not touch him. The blazing light radiating from his body, like the scorching sun, incinerated the chains upon contact, severing them all.
“Why isn’t he engaging in debate? Why are the carvings fading away?” someone exclaimed in shock.
Many were dumbfounded. He hadn’t entered the wall, yet the carvings’ figures were retreating from him, burned away by his radiance.
A Golden-Winged Roc, glowing intensely, remarked, “If you are powerful enough, the phenomena around you will speak for you and argue on your behalf.”
The sight of the Roc left many stunned. Its reputation was immense. Many speculated it was likely the ancient Golden-Winged Roc from the Sky Roc Dao Ground in Kun Lun, a creature of great renown.
An elder clad in feathered robes nodded. “The Roc is right. The true essence within his Celestial Light Force must be extraordinarily profound, capable of speaking for him and supporting his discourse.”
It dawned on the onlookers that Qin Ming’s unique Celestial Light Force was likely beneficial for forging new paths. The trial emphasized creativity, innate talent, and potential.
The elder on the Four-Tusked White Elephant interjected, “Who says he must be an aged Young Ancestor? What if he’s a young and rising star? That seems a more plausible explanation.”
Many doubted this suggestion.
After all, the Path of Awakening greatly favored age. The older one was, the stronger they became. Without years of experience, how could anyone astral project with Celestial Light Force?
A youth with a golden horn spoke up. “Let’s see what happens next. If he is a newly awakened individual, the challenges ahead will be insurmountable. This path has already reached its end; it cannot be extended further.”
Qin Ming circled the courtyard walls. The spectral figures retreated, and every carving vanished. He extended his senses to gauge the lingering emotions in the area. What he heard was a deafening roar.
It was the temple itself, its entirety resonating like a colossal bell tolling through the night, as though the ancient structures were alive. The vibrations seemed capable of shattering the night’s veil. Alarmed, Qin Ming immediately stopped probing further. The temple felt like an enormous, sentient being.
He advanced into the second courtyard. Broken blue bricks lined the ground, weeds sprouting through the cracks. A few ancient trees swayed in the night breeze, their yellowing leaves falling—a scene of utter desolation.
As he stepped forward, a large bronze incense burner lit up, casting light over the entire courtyard. Within the burner, three thick incense sticks burned like torches, their smoke curling upward into the sky.
The dense accumulation of ash rested within the bronze incense burner. But now, to Qin Ming’s shock, the ash began to float, spreading across the courtyard. It fragmented into countless particles, each glowing faintly.
From within one of these particles, a shadowy figure laughed exuberantly. “There truly is an afterlife! Ha! I’ve carried my past life’s wisdom into this rebirth. This time, I’ll become a Near-Immortal!”
Another particle held a figure, aged but majestic. With a serene smile, he declared, “Unbelievable! After my mortal end, I find myself in a new world, on a relentless rise. I am destined to ascend to godhood!”
Then came the anguished cry of a young man. “In my past life, I wasted my years. But here, a second chance awaits. Becoming an Immortal Ancestor is no longer a dream!” Within the ash, his form trembled with fervor. Qin Ming observed, his heart heavy with unease. Was this copper furnace teeming with the obsessions of the deceased?
A face materialized on one of the incense sticks, ancient and creased. Its hollow voice resonated, “The world is a furnace; all life is but ash. You think yourself unique? Enter the furnace, and pierce the ten realms.”
The claim of conquering ten realms seemed ludicrous. Yet soon, Qin Ming realized the truth in the words. From the ancient visage emerged ten resplendent ash particles, each containing an exceptional remnant of a departed soul, selected for him.
“How dare an aberrant invader trespass here?!” A voice boomed as Qin Ming approached a particle. A white-clothed youth brandished a celestial sword, its arc splitting the sky of the ash world.
Caught off guard, Qin Ming gasped. Could he withstand such a strike? But then, his innate Celestial Light Force radiated, dispelling the sword’s brilliance. The sword, formidable at first glance, revealed itself as less potent than anticipated.
The white-clothed youth, his face twisting with confusion, murmured, “Who am I? Where is this? Was it all a dream?”
Gradually, his memory sharpened. “I am a disciple of the Pure Land Sect. I fell in battle at the divine temple. Now, with my consciousness revived, I challenge you to a debate on the Way.”
What followed was a fierce clash of minds, as their consciousness auras collided in a dazzling dance of light. When the ash world crumbled, the youth, freed from his torment, smiled at Qin Ming in gratitude before fading away.
Through nine more trials, Qin Ming shattered the barriers of these ash worlds. Each encounter was taxing, from disciples of varied sects to bizarre creatures—some without physical forms, others plants imbued with wisdom. Each demanded his utmost effort.
Little did he know, these were the elite of the ash remnants, handpicked by the temple’s master. Each opponent was a prodigy, their talents honed to an extraordinary degree.
In the third courtyard, Qin Ming found a green ox reclining beneath a golden ginkgo tree, its leaves cascading like a gilded waterfall. The ox patted the ground before it. “Come, let us debate.”
Skeptical, Qin Ming sat. But as the ox began mooing incessantly, its “debate” proved unintelligible.
“Are you deliberately trying to confuse me?” Qin Ming demanded.
“All beings possess spirit; the Way is formless. I’m demonstrating the Way and expounding its laws. Have you understood?”
Qin Ming scoffed. In response, he used Celestial Light Force to manifest a zither and began to play.
The first melody, Ascending the Celestial Tower, summoned visions: a grand tower reaching into the heavens, with crimson clouds, golden rivers, and dragons soaring amidst the skyline. The ox stared blankly, unable to comprehend.
“My Way—can you grasp it?” Qin Ming teased.
Undeterred, he played a second piece, The Butcher’s Dexterity. This tune depicted vivid scenes of precision and mastery, resonating deeply. The ox’s expression shifted to one of clarity. It stood abruptly, horns gleaming, preparing to charge.
Before it could act, Qin Ming conjured a blade, its sharp edge singing in harmony with his music. It sliced into the ox’s essence, disassembling it with surgical elegance.
Having overcome eight courtyards, Qin Ming arrived at the grand courtyard of the Main Divine Temple. Behind him, the residents of the mysterious town whispered in awe.
“No mere newly awakened could achieve this. He must have trained in advanced techniques like Celestial Light Force!”
The ninth courtyard veiled itself in thick mist, obscuring the temple from view. But within the temple, Qin Ming felt a powerful presence stirring.
The temple’s walls glowed, inscribed with rebellious scripture that flowed like dragons and danced like phoenixes, carving an aura of defiance into the sacred space. The inscriptions pulsed with Celestial Light, waves of energy surging outward.
“This must be the work of an ancient ancestor,” Qin Ming surmised. “To carve their teachings into such a holy place—they must have possessed unmatched audacity!”
“Enter,” beckoned a voice from within.
As Qin Ming stepped inside, the radiant inscriptions illuminated the temple’s stark interior. Cobwebs and faint traces of blood clung to the shadows. In the temple’s depths, a massive, faintly glowing entity loomed, its form barely discernible. For a moment, Qin Ming thought he saw a towering creature as vast as a mountain.
A shimmering path materialized, leading to a distant moonlit horizon. A graceful silhouette emerged, moving slowly toward him from the light.